Top 10 Challenges and Solutions in Field Service Management

The field service industry faces many challenges. Here are 10 major ones and how field service management software can solve them.

Managing field service isn’t just about giving out tasks. It’s about planning wisely, using resources well, and matching technicians to the right jobs. A field service manager has to coordinate multiple aspects of the operations. This could include checking if and when the job is done. It also means ensuring resources are used wisely and customers are satisfied.

But if tasks aren’t assigned properly, service quality suffers. This means unhappy customers and business losses. Old methods don’t work anymore. So businesses are switching to field service management software. That tackles challenges with automation.

Let’s explore the biggest challenges in field service management and how to fix them!

Top 10 Challenges in Field Service Management

Field service management faces several common challenges. Managing tasks, tracking productivity, and allocating resources remain the top issues. Many organizations struggle with an underskilled workforce due to inadequate training. Also, lacking technology makes it harder to manage assets and services effectively.

Worry not! Along with the challenges, we have also discussed solutions. These will help companies overcome the challenges.

“There’s no use talking about the problem unless you talk about the solution.” — Betty Williams.

1. Shift Scheduling Conflicts

Organizations starting or expanding their catalog of services face conflict while forming schedules. This challenge becomes even more complex when scheduling is done manually.

Managers may forget to account for travel time between service calls. Or they might not get a realistic duration of the service. This will leave technicians with no time to get to the next call.

🏆The Solution

The solution is using field service management software’s shift scheduling and task management solution. It optimises task allocation and management. You get reports on target vs. achievement. This provides insight into the bandwidth and productivity of staff. The clarity it provides helps eliminate the chances of double booking.

The feature assigns the task to the best-suited employees. It even considers the bandwidth of the technicians.

Task management solution allows managers to prepare weekly or monthly calendars.

2. Disproportionate Cost Control

Field service companies rely on skilled technicians for on-site services, but managing expenses is a challenge. Operational costs could include

• Travel costs,
• Inventory management
• First-time fix rate inefficiencies

These add up quickly if no prompt action is taken. Rising fuel prices further increase operational costs as technicians move between job sites. Poor resource allocation and delays lead to repeat visits, driving up expenses.

Balancing these costs while ensuring efficient service delivery is crucial for profitability.

🏆 The Solution

Field service management solutions are what you need to control operational costs. Companies can reduce fuel costs by optimising scheduling. They can assign service calls to employees already in the area.

Additionally, real-time tracking helps identify time theft or idling, contributing to additional costs. Distance traveled reports ensure the company reimburses the exact miles traveled.

3. Fragmented Communication

Managers generally rely on phone calls and messages to communicate with field staff.

But what happens when the employees are not in the network area? Or when the job involves minute detailing, is it just too much to report back to the office? Also, there is no guarantee that the information shared over the phone will be authentic.

Isn’t that a challenge worth solving?

🏆The Solution

An in-built chat box feature allows technicians and in-office staff to communicate freely. Text messages, photos, and documents can all be shared effortlessly.

Do not ignore that the feature is built into the app, eliminating the need for multiple platforms. The executive app allows executives to mark attendance and log updates remotely. This further brings clarity.

4. Dwindling Team’s Efficiency

How do managers determine that their field service employees are at the top of their game? Sometimes, employees struggle to meet their targets or are not so efficient.

This reduced efficiency and productivity often results from:

•  Mundane tasks like manual data entry, filing paperwork, etc.
• Unclear goal-setting, task priority, and deadlines.
• Poor task progress accounting & reporting workflow.

🏆The Solution

Automation is your answer to revive the employees’ productivity and efficiency. Field service management software automates even the most mundane tasks. These could be –

• Ginning Locational and activity updates over call
• Collecting data and sales on papers
• Going to the branch office just to mark attendance

However, automation allows employees to focus all their time and energy on their primary jobs. Features like custom forms and document attachments do the heavy lifting. Analytical reports and dashboards generate information in seconds.

Also, the attendance management system allows executives to mark attendance from task locations. Task management software automates task creation and delegation.

5. Lack of Visibility

Lack of visibility is the most prominent challenge for all field service companies. Lack of visibility in –

• Task status or progress
• Technicians’ live location and activities
• Verification of field technicians’ presence

All of it can leave managers feeling blindsided.

Their only option would be to call each employee for updates. This time-taking might make staff feel micromanaged.

🏆The Solution

The solution to the problem is simple- using field service management software. It has solutions like

• Geo-coded attendance
• Employee GPS tracking (even in offline mode)
• Auto-generated performance reports
• Analytical dashboards for productivity monitoring
• Real-time task status, location & timeline checking

These features not only solve the challenge but amplify transparency and accountability.

6. Time and Performance Management

Finding and keeping the best technical staff is very important because they help the business grow. When a company knows who its top workers are, it can reward them with bonuses and other benefits to keep them happy.

It is also important to check how well other technicians’ are doing. This helps find out what problems they face and what training they need to get better.

Good time management is also a key. Employees should not take too long to fix a customer’s problem.

🏆The Solution

Field service management software helps solve these problems with smart features:

• Attendance Tracking – Marks arrival and departure times using location-based attendance.
• Happiness Code – Technicians ask customers for a code if they’re happy with the service.
• Auto-Generated Reports – Creates reports on tasks vs. achievements, performance analysis, and more.

These tools help managers track efficiency, improve service quality, and make better decisions. Also, these tools automate the calculation of employee productivity.

7. Customer Experience

Among the challenges in field service management, customer satisfaction affects the organisation’s success the most. All management techniques, software automation, or training should ultimately create excellent CX.

In field service, customer experience demands simple scheduling, on-time arrivals, issue resolutions, and follow-up through after-sales services.

🏆The Solution

Automation makes field service management easier. The field service management enhances customer experience by giving managers full visibility into each agent’s schedule. It helps assign the right agent to the right job, ensuring they arrive on time and never miss appointments. This improves efficiency and keeps customers satisfied.

8. Measuring KPIs for Field Efficacy

How do you determine the effectiveness of your field activities? Cost and quality are the two most crucial KPIs for assessing field service effectiveness in any industry. It is incredibly challenging for businesses to balance maintaining and amplifying field service quality while ensuring overhead costs are reduced with time.

Issues in a field service industry like manual procedures, paper-based collection, inadequate customer coordination, and the need for experienced personnel are hindrances.

🏆The Solution

Analyzing the analytical insights provided by the field service management software boosts visibility and can assist in resolving many of these issues alongside increasing field efficacy. For example, customisable reports will shed light on employee productivity. Target vs. achievement reports are such.

Additionally, there is a customizable workflow for reimbursement approval or leaves. This keeps everyone in the loop and provides much-needed visibility.

9. Needless Documentation

In traditional service businesses, the scope of work and operations are managed on paper documents. These documents are passed around from managers to technicians. Once the job is done, they are returned to the managers.

This is a highly inefficient method as it causes human errors, increases time consumed, and prevents companies from providing optimal services and completing targets.

🏆The Solution 

Since the software is cloud-based, it can easily transfer data remotely without printing even a single document. This even allows field service employees to have remote access to data. Additionally, the software has another cool feature in its kitty- custom forms, which digitalise the recording and management of data.

10. Need for Centralisation of Information

A big problem in field service management is that information is all over the place. Service requests often get lost. It’s hard to know where clients are, and assigning technicians is confusing. Without live updates, managers don’t know what’s going on, which causes delays and mistakes.

🏆The Solution

TrackoField’s dynamic and analytical dashboard provides managers with minute-to-minute details. The most critical information is kept at the forefront. It ensures that all the required information is accessible in the least amount of clicks.

Be at the Top of Field Services with TrackoField

Field service companies work directly with clients. That is why it must run smoothly like a well-oiled machine. To achieve this, they need to eliminate every inefficiency. This is where field service management software becomes essential. It allows field service businesses to manage their employees effortlessly while managing workforce operations.

With TrackoField, businesses can streamline workforce operations, track employees effortlessly, and overcome every challenge without increasing costs. It provides all the solutions needed to boost efficiency, improve service quality, and drive growth—making it the ultimate choice for field service management.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can field service management software improve communication?

  Yes, it can. The software provides -
  - Real-time updates and visibility of activities,
  - automated notifications to keep technicians, managers, and customers informed
  - Executive app with chat box for instant communication.
  This keeps the entire team informed of the field activities. Thus making communication free-flowing and instant.

• Does FSM software enhance customer satisfaction?

  Yes, it does. The software enhances customer satisfaction by
  - Ensuring faster response times,
  - Sharing accurate ETAs,
  - and Improving employee productivity.
  All this leads to improved customer experiences.